When It comes to classic literature I am a die hard fan of it and can do anything to buy one. Thats why my most of the time after university are spent in book shops or libraries. Jude the obscure is one such classic that I simply adore. Its story line and characterization is really strong. It was begun as amegazine serial by Thomas Hardy in late 19th century. Thomas hardy was turning at that point from the conventional romantic story to romantic with a tragic end to it. We cant say that Jude was a tragic hero with hamartia no we cant. He was no great man that was the first point that made me love him. he was a comman man like you and me. But he wanted to be educated and go to university that he was dreaming of from the start of his life. But before he knew what hea was doing he was married with a village girl Arabella who simply elured him to marriage. that was the first step towards his down fall. Because he was never made for marriages. But his loneliness and sexuality drive made him go astray. But then he freed himself from this marriage bond. He went to the city to become scholar. But there we see the hypocrisy and prejudiced behavior of so called intellactuals. It was dawned upon him that as he was from a lower social status he couldnt get into the university. There he fell in love with his own cousin Sue who was also an intellectual. But as he was told by his aunt that it is a curse on their family that they cant marry for long so the two cousins. In the meanwhile Sue married Philostone who was Sue old teacher. But then Sue discovered that she is inlove with Jude and marrying Philostone was a bad idea. Sue and Jude decided to live together without marriage and Sue left Philostone. This made them a social outcast and everyone started rebuking them for their doing. Sue didnt want any sexual relationship so they slept separately for some time but then Jude convinced her in sleeping with him. This led to the birth of their illigetimate children. Then an other child came from australia from Jude's first wife. He was called Little Father time. He was a serious boy and he observed the problems he and his sibling are causing their parents. So he decided to kill all of them and commited suicide after wards. THis sudden death of all the children made Sue feeling religiously guilty of her wrong doing. She left Jude returned back to Philostone and lived as his wife. Jude on the otherhand remarried Arabella. After a year Jude went back to Sue to meet her and bacme ill because of cold weather. Jude died of that cold while Arabella was courting doctor.
The story had a very tragic and ironic end. But this novel was very radical in that time and was banned by the the bishop of Wakefield. It was made into a movie two times. Its a worth reading novel.